polaroid tuesday: week seventeen

Tulips.

Two lips. I love my husband.

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p.s. Thank you for the extremely wonderful words about True's birthday. I am so overwhelmed at the joyous response. Nice to meet lots of you who are here for the first time (or said hi for the first time). I only wish I knew how I could respond directly to someone's comment. Anyone know how to do that? Some people are able to respond to ones I leave them via email, but I don't know how to do that. Therefore, forgive if me I don't always answer questions or comments. I will try to get better, but being a mom of two little ones, well, you know how that goes. Lots of things slip through the cracks. Really though, I appreciate and read every one. Thank you again everyone!

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Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Goldilocks, also known as Truelilocks, turned three and celebrated with her friends the three bears, also known as Papi, Mommy, and Brave. The three bears surprised her with a forest-garden-like picnic...

There were Goldilocks-sized cupcakes, made from a dairy & egg free recipe (thanks to suggestions from y'all) and bear bodies to build your own bear for each little girl (just True & Brave). They stuffed them, sewed little faces (with a plastic needle), and made them a heart...

Bear hats were also made...

Of course, there had to be story telling with some quickly made finger puppets that Papi requested...

Then, we all chowed down on some porridge of sorts...

I think the cupcakes turned out great, considering they lacked eggs and milk. Truelilocks was so excited to try her first real dessert, especially cupcakes. She took one bite and then spit it out. I guess Truelilocks ain't a fan of sweets. I tried... she really is her father's daughter.

That's right... Truelilocks is now three!!!

It was a simple celebration with just the four of us. Perfect for my Truelilocks. We wanted it to be all about her and what she liked to do. I think it was just that! Believe it or not, I have more pictures of our celebration here. It really was such a fun, lighthearted evening that was absolutely whimsical! 

In the midst of our little "party" True said, "I am so excited about my birthday!" 

We are too my little love, we are too. I am so thankful to God for giving her to us. I can hardly believe she is no longer a baby, but our little girl.

Happy birthday to our Truelilocks! The three bears love you very much...

all good things

1. Strawberry smoothie (and friendship bread and a bit of cream cheese) for breakfast.

2. Carrot-strawberry-orange slush in the afternoon. 

3. True drawing in her sketchbook all day long. 

These are all good things.

take two

This friendship bread is quite addicting. It is perfect because it is not too sweet. Now, my second attempt is much healthier than the first. I used fat free milk, whole wheat flour, applesauce instead of oil, and a Splenda baking mix instead of regular sugar. It came out grittier due to the whole wheat flour, but it still taste good and the bread is still extra moist. I don't feel bad eating this healthified version, though too bad my girls still can't have any of this as it has milk and eggs and True is allergic to both. Brave isn't, but we try to keep things fair. Plus, they really don't need to eat this, so they don't. Most of the time they don't complain about it.

Since True's birthday is coming, I am going to figure out a healthy cake-ish recipe to make for my dairy & egg free child. I made one for her first birthday and she didn't even want to try it. Then again, we tried to give her real cake with the works and she didn't want to try that too. I have a feeling this year, she will want to try it. She calls all cake-cookie-candy-ish foods "junk," but I think she is getting curious to want to try it. Her (and Brave's) everyday dessert is called fruit, sometimes vegetables. She really does love them all (fruits and vegetables that is!). I am so thankful for that.

I have a few recipes I may consider making for her special birthday cake, but does anyone have any other recipes to share? Remember, it needs to be dairy and egg free (and peanut free cause she is allergic to that too!). I need all the help I can get!

Or anyone know any dairy-egg free cupcake recipes? I think she is most curious about cupcakes. 

polaroid tuesday: week sixteen

This was random. I took a polaroid of the lily pads at the gardens, but for some reason the camera spit out two pictures in one. One was completely brown and nothing, the other was this...

The center frame is also different from normal. At first, I didn't like it. Then, I thought it was just cool. Polaroids really make their own art. You just never know what you are gonna get.

never still

Life is constantly growing, moving, changing...

Thank you Lord for your creation.

We had a marvelous weekend. Some of that time was spent at Descanso Gardens. It is such a beautiful place. I wish it were my backyard. The girls loved it. I was impressed at how long they lasted out and about in the sun. Maybe, I keep them cooped up at home too long.

Like creation, my girls are never still... they too are constantly growing, moving, and changing.

A big change is that my True is turning three very, very soon and I have lots to do for her celebration. All month she has been talking about her birthday and it is finally almost here. We are so excited! Sunday will come soon enough...

What changes are you observing in your everyday?

i'm no van Gogh

This is my version of Starry Night...

It wasn't easy. This crown intimidated me. I don't even remember how many times I started over or had to stop cause I was just stuck on how to make it. It is long overdue, but it is the hands of the winner now (at least I hope so). My arms were sore from turning and turning it using the free motion foot. I am happy with the final product, though surely, I am no van Gogh. There is only one and I am not he. 

May your weekend be filled with starry nights...

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p.s. Ben and I just started looking at the possibility of going to New Orleans sometime in July for our anniversary, but I have a few questions before we dive any further: 1) Anyone know of any good places to stay that are nice but won't break the wallet? 2) Anyone know of any flea markets that might be going on? Yes, I plan vacations around flea markets. Any help is greatly appreciated. I so want to go and have never been, so I am excited about the prospect!

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winter is long gone

And taxes are over... whew!

I am a cold weather person. I think I would do well living in San Francisco as the grey suits me, not that I am a sad person, but I just love it grey outside. It makes me happy and cozy on the inside. When I lived in London, I loved it. The grey everyday was wonderful. That really was my cup of tea! Therefore, next winter when the grey and cold hit southern California (crossing my fingers), we will be ready...

True has her new vintage coat that I found for her on etsy (it was a tad big this winter). I love the plaid and the bushy little collar. Makes me wish we lived somewhere where she would have to wear it more often! 

Then, I have my cute little vintage jacket (love the faux fur collar too!) that I found at a thrift store in downtown Ventura when Ben and I had a date. It fits me nicely. Now, to find things to wear it with. Good thing I don't have to worry about that for awhile...

Don't get me wrong, I am loving the Spring, though I prefer the fall or winter (but I guess if you are stuck in a season for a long time, you wish for the next to come). Though, not sure if I like the allergies that come with this new season. Hopefully, this congestion will go away soon.

I hope all is well with you friends and you are enjoying your change of season wherever you are... have a fantastic day today. Like I said, I am so glad taxes are done!

polaroid tuesday: week fifteen

She is cute as a button. She is sweet as honey. She brightens any day like a field full of daisies...

I love her so.

to each her own

Easter was full of Christ, family, food, and lots of fun. All was done in each girls' home-sewn dress. Ben was joking around that he needed something, well, maybe next year, but for us (girls that is!) it was perfect for all the festivities...

From top to bottom:

True's was made of a very pretty striped linen. It was originally intended for Brave, but seeing how I kind of guess everything, it ended up a tad big. Ends up True was requesting pink of sorts, thus this slight mishap was perfect for her.

Brave's was made of an orangey-salmon-ish linen and the print was cotton voile. I was so stuck on how to make Brave's. I had different ideas in mind. Actually, I started making a grey-bluish dress, but messed up and got frustrated and scrapped that idea all together. I started this at around 8 at night on Saturday and finished about an hour and half later (with lots of interruptions in between). I was really happy with the result and loved the color combination. Plus, making my own bias tape is so fun and easy (thanks to bias tape maker)!

My dress was a replica of this dress that I loved, but cannot afford, thus I made it in an eggplant colored cotton. It was close enough to me. I totally forgot to take a picture of me wearing it, but that's fine. I loved it and Ben likes it a lot because it hugs my body a bit more, which makes me love it because it is all about being eye candy for my husband, right? Anyways. I love him. I want to make another like this, but maybe in the red. That would be perfect for summer!

I must say each dress was loved and worn all day long and it was a splendid Resurrection Sunday!!!

my anti-basket

When I was a little girl, I always received some sort of basket of goodies for Easter. Usually, it comprised of Barbie dolls and an Easter dress. These past few years, I have used a basket (which now houses our crayons) or my turquoise berry pints, but this year I wanted something that we would use every year, something a bit different. Our new solution: Easter Bags... 

They are made of some old French dish cloths that I have been saving. I did a sort of raw free motion embroidery with their names and I am pretty satisfied with the outcome. It's not perfect, but that is much better right? A little sweeter with its imperfections. Plus, I think these bags have plenty of room (as it measures about 12''x18'') to catch all those eggs from the coming Easter egg hunts, don't you think? From my experience, baskets are so teensy that they don't hold very many eggs and just about the time the basket is getting full, you bend over to grab the last few eggs and then all the eggs come tumbling out of the basket like a free for all. So yes, an Easter bag is more like it.  

The girls are getting little goodies in the Easter bags. True is getting some baking supplies to add to her kitchen and Brave is getting some books and finger puppets for her puppet theatre. Of course, both toys are really for both. They end up sharing everything anyways, especially sickies (which I am glad to be finally rid of here in these parts)... 

Sunday is not just Easter egg hunts and time for gathering with family, though we are excited for that. For us it is much more. We will be celebrating Christ's resurrection...

Romans 5:8 

"but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

True, my little artist, has a message for all of you...

She drew the bunny all by herself. The only thing I helped her with was the writing. I think she is quite the artist for being so young, but then again, I don't know what is normal for almost an almost 3 year old. Maybe you do and I am just an overly enthusiastic mother. Anyhow, my True is an artist to me and we (Ben, True, Brave, and I) want you to have a wonderful Easter weekend!

p.s. Hop on over to Misha Lulu's blog and see a most fantastically splendid giveaway. A chance to win one of her cute frocks is such a treat, so hoppity hop on over!

we call it sushi night

And it feels so right... oh what a night!

We all love our sushi. We don't get it too often, usually when someone is in town or on special occasions, but when we do, we love to indulge! Even the girls love sushi, they have been dying to reach out and eat our raw pieces, but we must wait until they are a bit older to give them those...  

Now, sushi nights will be even more special as they get to wear their Sushi Meal hair clips...

They were totally loving it (the hair clips and the food).

I think these hair clips will make your sushi nights even more special! 

Want some sushi?!!